Ghost Recon: Wildlands Is Getting An Open Beta

If you're curious how Ghost Recon: Wildlands is shaping up, you'll have a chance to find out firsthand before the game launches next March. Between now and then, the developer is touting a beta period to make sure everything is going according to plan.

You wouldn't be blamed for forgetting that Ghost Recon: Wildlands even exists. That's not to say that the game didn't have a great E3 reveal back in June, just that there's a lot going on in the shooter department these days. Destiny launched its Rise of Iron expansion earlier this fall and, within the past few weeks, Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare have all hit store shelves.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands is actually making a pretty smart move not launching until March, giving it some comfy breathing room between itself and all of these other shooters. But you won't have to wait until the end of Q1 2017 to actually play the game, with Gamespot reporting a beta is on the way.

And speaking of quarters, that's the period of time within which this beta will appear. According to the publisher, Ubisoft, the Ghost Recon: Wildlands open beta will arrive sometime in the next three months. This information was revealed by CEO Yves Guillemot during an Ubisoft earnings call yesterday, Nov. 3.

Since Wildlands is set to launch on March 7, we wouldn't be surprised to see that open beta pop up some time through the holidays, giving folks something to keep them busy during time off and, hopefully, something to look forward to early next year.

As is usually the case, a closed beta was also mentioned in regards to this next Ghost Recon game, though no timeframe was offered for those. Since closed betas usually come before open betas, though, we imagine some gamers might be enjoying Wildlands in the pretty-dang-near future. According to the original report, the purpose of these betas will be less about testing systems and servers and more about allowing players to figure out what Wildlands is all about.

Based on what we've seen of the game, it's not too far removed from previous Ghost Recon games, though the characters seem to be a little less "professional" in terms of attire. This cooperative romp will set you free on an open landscape with missions available at every turn. You'll be able to team up with other players and then decide the best way to tackle your objectives. Despite the more rough-and-tumble setting and characters, as well as some explosive set pieces shown off in early gameplay, it looks like players are still encouraged and, to a degree, rewarded for trying to complete their missions as stealthily as possible.

For those of you who loved The Division, we'll end by saying that Yves Guillemot said that Wildlands has a lot in common with that hit from earlier this year, so get ready for something familiar wrapped in something new.